


Dragon Rage

by Rose_of_Pollux



Series: Inktober for Writers, 2019 [12]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-12
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-12-13 21:02:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21004115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_of_Pollux/pseuds/Rose_of_Pollux
Summary: [PokéAni OS] In which Misty learns that when dealing with a phobia, you have to celebrate the little victories.





	Dragon Rage

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("dragon") and based on the episodes 1x16 (”Pokémon Shipwreck) and 5x27 (”Rage of Innocence”); I found it interesting how Misty’s Gyarados-phobia was retconned in after her departure at the end of the OS, meaning that her encounters with Gyarados during the OS retroactively must have been one heck of a time for her to handle. So, this happened…

Fear. Fear was a strange thing—there were times it left you paralyzed, and times it made you leap into action. And there were times when, even after the fact, you ran the gamut of all possible emotions.

The unpleasant feeling first hit Misty like a punch in the gut when she had seen James’s Magikarp glowing. Magikarp was evolving, and there was only one thing it could become—her greatest fear, and the bane of her dream to become the greatest water Pokémon trainer.

For how could she be the greatest water Pokémon trainer when she feared Gyarados?

She summoned Goldeen, Starmie, and Staryu to face against the newly-evolved Gyarados. Today would be the day she would face her fears—the day she would defeat that specter of her past…

Gyarados roared, and her determination fizzled away. Brock had asked her about her battle strategy—she responded with a tactical retreat.

Whether or not they escaped successfully, Gyarados had beaten her again.

But for a moment—for a brief, moment of hope—it seemed as though that they would have escaped the enraged sea monster… Until four more Gyarados emerged from the water.

Five of them. _Five_ of them! It was too much!

The others were too scared for their lives to notice the extent of Misty’s fear; soon, the combined Dragon Rage of the five beasts was upon them, hurtling them through the air. Misty’s screams of terror were lost among those of her companions.

Mercifully, they had ended up, safe and alive on dry land, though Misty’s nightmares had been filled by enraged Gyarados surrounding her, rearing to their maximum height and staring down upon her with their eyes afire.

She was rescued from the visions when Ash woke her and Brock up; Ash was soon too absorbed in his quest to fine where Pikachu, Charmander, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur had ended up, having lost track of them.

Knowing that she needed to assist her friend, Misty pushed her thoughts and fears behind her, though her shudders had not gone unnoticed by Brock—no doubt used to picking up on distress signals from his younger siblings in their moments of fright.

“Are you alright, Misty?” he asked. “Is something wrong?”

This got Ash’s attention; he looked back at Misty in concern.

Misty once again recalled the horrible mental image of being surrounded by attacking Gyarados before shaking her head.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured them. “We just need to focus on finding the missing Pokémon more than anything.”

They didn’t seem convinced, but Ash was definitely the most concerned in finding his Pokémon—and Brock had to make sure that Ash’s zeal wouldn’t send him running right off the nearest cliff.

She followed the boys, forcing herself to push the mental image away. After the Gyarados had so utterly defeated her in her attempt to lead the others on their escape plan, she would have to claim a victory now—to not let them distract her from helping Ash find his Pokémon.

*********************************

Misty kept her fear secret for a surprisingly long time; at first, it had been because she hadn’t wanted the boys to tease her. As their friendship grew stronger, it had been because she hadn’t wanted them to worry about her. She would have to conquer it on her own.

She grinned and bore their encounters with Gyarados in the Orange Islands, but it wasn’t until their encounter with the shiny Gyarados at the Lake of Rage in Johto that she finally admitted her fears to Ash and Brock.

“Gyarados still terrifies me, but I know we can’t let Team Rocket keep hurting it…!” she said, frustrated. “I just wish I was strong enough to beat this…”

“Misty, you already are!” Ash had pointed out. “You’re scared, but you wanna help us save this Gyarados anyway!”

“Ash is right—this is an incredible step for you,” Brock insisted. “Make no mistake—whether or not we rescue that red Gyarados, this is still a victory for you.”

_Still a victory_… she mentally repeated.

Yes, they were right. She would take this for today, and hope that, someday, she would be able to be a true water Pokémon master and command a Gyarados herself.

That would be the greatest victory of all.


End file.
